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What’s in a name? A great deal, in the opinion of Taiwan, fighting this week for a rightful place at World Health Organization meetings in Geneva.

Taiwan has been newly relegated to the status of “a province of China” at the sessions, instead of its traditional and more respectful designation, “Chinese Taipei.”

Canada has long supported the island nation’s participation at international assemblies, recognizing that Taiwan — the world’s 18th largest economy and a democracy — has much to offer the global community.

Canada also has robust Taiwanese communities in Vancouver and Toronto, totalling some 160,000 people.

But in Geneva, where the World Health Assembly is meeting until Saturday, a tussle continues to play out between China, which claims Taiwan is an integral part of its territory, and Taiwan itself, which has existed separate and apart from the mainland since 1949. The WHA is the governing body of the UN’s World Health Organization.

Taiwan, which runs its own affairs and collects taxes from its citizens, wishes to remain separate from China. Indeed, many Taiwanese want their lush, tropical island of 23 million — known for its exquisite bird life and bountiful orchid crop — to be a fully independent country.

But the government, quite legitimately, fears a backlash from China should it advance that cause. And so Taipei has been pragmatic, lying low and seeking to content itself with observer status at global gatherings such as the WHA.

“Chinese Taipei” has sat in on WHA meetings as an observer since 2009, during which time relations with China have improved. The recently reelected government of Ma Ying-jeou in Taipei is continuing to foster greater economic ties with the mainland.

But this week, Taiwan’s Health Minister Chiu Wen-ta expressed “grave concern” over his country’s new designation, which clearly serves to advance the concept of Taiwan’s subservience to China.

“Taiwan,” he declared, “does not need to go through China when it needs to make contact with the World Health Organization.”

Chiu also expressed concern that in the past year Taiwan has been blocked from participating in nine of 21 WHO working panels.

Canada finds itself in an awkward place between China and Taiwan. While this country has often espoused the right of self-determination, certainly in relation to Quebec, and has generally supported Taiwanese aspirations, ministers in the Harper government have been reluctant to speak on Taiwan’s behalf because China has become so important economically to Canada.

The fuss over Taiwan’s name at the WHA is ironic because the small country has become a beacon in the field of health care.

It set up a universal single-payer health care system nearly 20 years ago, with 99 per cent of citizens fully covered for everything from home care to rehabilitation services to dental care.

Yet, Taiwan spends just 6.9 per cent of its GDP on health care — compared to 11.6 per cent spent last year in Canada.

Taiwan is a medical technology leader. “We have developed world-class expertise in biochips, biomedical materials, biomedical informatics and both medical and pharmaceutical engineering,” says a Taiwanese health department document. Taiwan is a specialist in electronic medical record management and distance health care.

“Taiwan’s participation in global health affairs will benefit people in Taiwan and around the world,” asserts Osman Chia, a Taiwanese diplomat in Vancouver.

The latest WHA kerfuffle points to a much larger challenge for Taiwan — how such a small and worthy democracy can garner necessary support for its cause from other nations when those other nations are so fearful of damaging trade relations with the Chinese behemoth.

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